AKASH Singh appeared as one of the main witnesses in the trial against the two men accused of murdering the Henry cousins on Tuesday and claimed that the two boys were killed over damaged marijuana farms in the backlands.
The trial into the murders of cousins Joel Henry and Isaiah Henry continued in the High Court in Berbice, where the jury heard chilling testimony detailing the horrific injuries both teenagers sustained along with details as to what transpired on the day in question.
The two accused are Anil Sancharra, also known as “Dan Pole” and “Rasta,” of D’Edward Village, West Coast Berbice, and Vinod Gopaul, also known as “Magga,” of Yakusari, Black Bush Polder, Corentyne.
Singh, who took the stand on Tuesday, said that he, along with the two accused, Anil Sancharra and Vinod Gopaul went into the backdam to tend to marijuana plants. According to him, they had seedlings to plant.
However, he said that about three weeks later, when they returned, they discovered the plants had been destroyed, suspected to be due to apparently pesticide, and that crops at a distant farm were also damaged.
He claimed that while they were talking about the damage, two teenagers came near the camp and when Singh mentioned damaged crops, one teen laughed.
Gopaul questioned the teen whether he knew something about the plants, but Singh said that the taller teen tried to run, and Gopaul chopped him while Sancharra attacked the other.
While he couldn’t count the number of chops, he claimed that after the attack, Singh said he was asked to help tie the bodies onto horses.
According to him, Gopaul and Sancharra took the bodies away, not deeper into the backdam, but the other way while Singh was tasked with dismembering the cutlasses, which he said he threw into a canal, along with his bloody clothes.
Singh also testified that both accused threatened him if he reported it. Despite that, when arrested in January 2021, Singh told police everything he knew and also told persons of the incident prior to being arrested.
Meanwhile, the matter will be continuing in the High Court in Berbice today (Wednesday).
